Secondary Teaching Unit 1

Chimney Rock Celebration
By Robert Sheldon
Alfred Music Publishing
Grade 3
Unit Plan Created by Brandon Wells

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Table of Contents
Teacher Guide: Unit Introduction 2
Learning Goals 2
Unit Study 5
Unit 1: Composer 5
Unit 2: Composition 5
Unit 3: Historical Perspective 6
Unit 4: Technical Considerations 6
Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations 6
Unit 6: Musical Elements 6
Unit 7: Form and Structure 7
Unit 8: Suggested Listening 7
Unit 9: Additional Resources 7
Warm Up Strategies 8
Lesson Plan #1 13
Rubric 18
Rubric 19
Reflection Questions 20
Lesson Plan #2 21
Rubric 24
Rubric 26
Lesson Plan #3 28
Lesson Plan #4 31
Lesson Plan #5 36
Glossary 47
Student Guide 49
Learning Goals 49
Unit Study 50
Unit 1: Composer 50
Unit 2: Composition 50
Unit 3: Historical Perspective 51
Unit 4: Technical Considerations 51
Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations 51
Unit 6: Musical Elements 51
Unit 7: Form and Structure 52
Unit 8: Suggested Listening 52
Unit 9: Additional Resources 52
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Warm Up Strategies 53
Day 1 Resources 57
Rubric 57
Day 2 Resources 60
Rubric 61
Day 3 Resources 63
Day 4 Resources 64
Day 5 Resources 67
Glossary 69
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Teacher Guide: Unit Introduction
Title: Chimney Rock Celebration

Composer/Arranger: Robert Sheldon (b. 1954)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Grade Level: 3
Learning Goals
Learning Goals (Instructional Objectives):

After completing this unit on Chimney Rock Celebration, students will:
- Develop and refine their understanding of vertical alignment.
- Develop and refine their own rhythmic emphasis strategies to enhance their individual
growth.
- Identify and define rondo form through score study and active listening of musical
examples.
- Develop listening skills through identification of melodic, harmonic, and background
voices.
- Refine their understanding of Chimney Rock Celebration through study of its historical
and cultural context.
- Create visual and lingusitic art inspired by listening examples.
- Identify differences between articulations through guided listening.
- Design lessons and assignments to test their peers.
- Give and receive detailed feedback to and from their peers.
Standards Addressed (8th Grade-Proficient):

- MU:Pr4.1.E.Ia Explain the criteria used to select a varied repertoire to study based on an
understanding of theoretical and structural characteristics of the music, the technical skill
of the individual or ensemble, and the purpose or context of the performance.
- Pr.3.8 Perform contrasting pieces of music, demonstrating as well as explaining how the
music’s intent is conveyed by their interpretations of the elements of music and
expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, timbre, articulation/style, and phrasing).

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- Pr.4.I Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire of music
and evaluate their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other sources to
refine performances.
- Cr.1.P Compose and improvise ideas for melodies, rhythmic passages, and
arrangements for specific purposes that reflect characteristic(s) of music from a variety
of historical periods studied in rehearsal.
- Cr.2.P Select and develop draft melodies, rhythmic passages, and arrangements for
specific purposes that demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music from a
variety of historical periods studied in rehearsal preserving draft compositions and
improvisations through standard notation and audio recording.
- MU:Re8.1.E.Ia Explain and support interpretations of the expressive intent and meaning
of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
(when appropriate) the setting of the text, and personal research.
- MU:Re9.1.E.Ia Evaluate works and performances based on personally or collaboratively
developed criteria, including analysis of the structure and context.
- Cr.3.P Evaluate and refine draft melodies, rhythmic passages, arrangements, and
improvisations based on established criteria, including the extent to which they address
identified purposes.
- Pr.3.I Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a varied
repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
- MU:Pr4.2.E.Ia Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how
compositional devices employed and theoretical and structural aspects of musical works
impact and inform prepared or improvised performances.
- MU:Cr3.1.E.Ia Evaluate and refine draft melodies, rhythmic passages, arrangements,
and improvisations based on established criteria, including the extent to which they
address identified purposes.

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- MU:Cr2.1.E.Ia Preserve draft compositions and improvisations through standard notation
and audio recording.
- MU:Cr3.2.E.Ia Share personally developed melodies, rhythmic passages, and
arrangements – individually or as an ensemble – that address identified purposes.
- MU:Pr4.3.E.Ia Demonstrate an understanding of context in a varied repertoire of music
through prepared and improvised performances.
- MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally developed melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives –
individually or as an ensemble – that demonstrate understanding of characteristics of
music or texts studied in rehearsal.
- MU:Pr5.3.E.8a Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire
of music and evaluate their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other
sources to refine performances.
- Cr.2.8.b Use standard and/or iconic notation and/or audio/ video recording to document
personal rhythmic phrases, melodic phrases, and harmonic sequences.
- Cr.3.8.a Evaluate their own work by selecting and applying criteria including appropriate
application of compositional techniques, style, form, and use of sound sources.

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Unit Study
Unit 1: Composer
Robert Sheldon is one of the most performed composers of wind band music today. He is also
the lead author of Sound Innovations for Concert Band. A recipient of numerous awards from the
American School Band Director's Association, Phi Beta Mu and the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers, his compositions embody a level of expression that
resonates with ensembles and audiences alike. His music is performed around the world and
appears on many international concert and contest lists. Mr. Sheldon regularly accepts
commissions for new works, and produces numerous publications for concert band each year.
Sheldon's schedule includes many appearances as guest conductor for All-State and Regional
Honor Bands. He also frequently appears as a Music Education clinician, and has presented
sessions and seminars at numerous colleges and universities as well as state Music Education
Association conferences. He has served as a conductor and clinician throughout the United
States, as well as Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany, Australia and China, and has conducted
performances of his works in New York's Carnegie Hall, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Boston's
Symphony Hall, The Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington D.C. Robert Sheldon received an honorary doctorate from VanderCook College of
Music in July 2020.
Unit 2: Composition
“Chimney Rock Celebration” was written to commemorate the Nebraska Sesquicentennial, while
also honoring the pioneers who helped to develop the American West. Commissioned by the
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Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, the premiere performance was given by the 2016
NSBA Eight Grade All-State Band, January 16, 2016 in Kearney, Nebraska with Robert Sheldon
conducting.
Unit 3: Historical Perspective

“Chimney Rock, a distinctive and prominent geological rock formation in western Nebraska, is
the most famous landmark on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails used by the pioneers
during the great migration west. This journey was fraught with perils, and many perished before
reaching their destination. But the courage and determination of these brave Americans helped
shape our nation, and their character and bravery has become imbedded in our folklore.”
- From Chimney Rock Celebration program notes.
Unit 4: Technical Considerations

There are lots of syncopated 8th note and 16th note rhythms. Vertical alignment across the
ensemble is very important for this piece. There is a main rhythmic motif that is present
throughout the piece with a few slight variations between parts.
Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations

Rallentando and accelerando are both present. Since there are very few isolated parts and the
melody and harmony is often played by multiple instruments at a time, there needs to be an
agreement on how to play these lines expressively and with dynamic musical texture.
Unit 6: Musical Elements

- Dynamics: fp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff
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- Range: B flat 1-A flat 6
- Rhythms: Syncopated 8th note and 16th note rhythms. Vertical alignment.
- Articulations: Accents, staccatos, marcatos, slurs, ties, glissandi, fermatas
- Tempos: Allegro 144 bpm, Andante Espressivo 72 bpm, Poco piu mosso 84 bpm.
Unit 7: Form and Structure

A, B, A, C, A. Rondo form.
Unit 8: Suggested Listening

It would be a good idea to listen to some of the composer’s other works to get a better
understanding of their compositional style. A few options are “Riverside Overture”, “Piedmont
Festival Overture”, and “Overture to a New Horizon”.
Unit 9: Additional Resources

Robert Sheldon personal website: https://robertsheldonmusic.com/
Robert Sheldon personal spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0sxE5g5ijPry9yWPiwufG0
Robert Sheldon works in JW Pepper:
https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/search.jsp?keywords=robert+sheldon&suggested=depart
ment-filter&pageview=list-view&departmentDescriptions=Concert+Band
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Warm Up Strategies
These warm up strategies are designed to directly setup and transition into the lessons in this
teaching unit. Each warm up has elements that can be modified by the instructor to better fit
their instructional styles. The warm ups will cover topics such as rhythmic alignment, listening
identification, dynamics, reflective/creative listening, and articulation. Each warm up should take
no longer than ten minutes depending on the schedule of the ensemble.
Strategy #1: Rhythmic Alignment

Sequence:
This warm up involves playing the E-Flat major scale (which is the home key for Chimney Rock
Celebration), with a focus on rhythmic alignment. Start by having the students play an E-Flat
major scale on quarter notes up and down one octave. Then, have them play the E-Flat major
scale with two eighth notes on each step of the scale up and down one octave. Afterwards,
students will be numbered into either group 1 or group 2. Group 1 will play the E-Flat major
scale on quarter notes up and down one octave, while group 2 will play the E-Flat major scale
on quarter notes starting on the off-beat up and down one octave. Afterwards, the two groups
will switch roles and play it again. The focus should be maintaining an even sound and pulse
with both groups filling different roles. There should be nearly no difference between every
student playing eighth notes versus playing in groups. The examples below can be passed out
to the students beforehand for a visual aid, but are not completely necessary for this warm up.
This exercise is very malleable and almost every aspect can be altered to suit whatever piece
your band is working on.
Quarter Notes
Eighth Notes (All Play)
Group 1
Group 2
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Transfer of Knowledge: In Chimney Rock Celebration, the students need to be able to execute
sudden shifts in pulse emphasis. Playing the composite rhythm together before splitting the part
will help them understand what the full part is supposed to sound like and can eliminate hesitant
preps that are common when playing on the off-beats.
Strategy #2: Listening Identification

Sequence:
This warm up involves listening to Theme and Variations from Distinguished Music for the
Developing Wind Band, Vol. 5. Students will be asked to listen and write down how many
different variations they heard. After the initial listen, the class will discuss how many variations
they think they heard. Once the discussion has concluded, the class will listen to the piece
again, this time they will raise their hands every time they hear a new variation. The goal is to
train the students' ears to hear when a piece transitions to a new section. Students will need to
use more focused and active listening rather than passive listening.
Materials: Theme and Variations from Distinguished Music for the Developing Wind Band, Vol. 5
Transfer of Knowledge: Chimney Rock Celebration is in rondo form, which is a form that the
students may be unfamiliar with. This warm up (as well as the corresponding lesson), is
designed to increase their understanding of the piece and train them to be more focused
listeners. These focuses will contribute to a greater sense of learning and a more enlightened
performance.
Strategy #3: Musical Among Us (Dynamics)

Sequence:
This warm up is a fun game for the students to work on their dynamic contrast and range. The
teacher will pick one student to be the crew member and have them step outside the classroom
for a moment. The teacher will then pick a different student to be the imposter. The crew
member will then come back into the room and try to figure out who the imposter is. The rest of
the class will sound the alarms (play long tones on a concert pitch) and their dynamic will shift
based on how close the crew member is to the imposter. For example, when the crew member
moves away from the imposter the alarms will decrescendo and when the crew member gets
closer to the imposter the alarms will crescendo. The crew member has three guesses to find
the imposter based on the volume of the alarms. Once the imposter is found or the crew
member uses all of their guesses, the crew member picks another student to be the crew
member and the game restarts. This game is a versatile method of working on dynamic contrast
because the teacher can choose different things to be the alarm based on what the lesson is for
that day.
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Transfer of Knowledge:
There is a large range of dynamics in Chimney Rock Celebration and in order to be able to
effectively perform those dynamic ranges, the students need to push the limits of their range.
This warm up can be used with different sections of Chimney Rock Celebration to find where the
“loud alarms” and “quiet alarms” are. This can also be used in chorales, scales, and etudes.
Strategy #4: Reflective/Creative Listening

Sequence:
This warm up is designed to specifically set up a listening activity like Lesson Plan #4. Start by
having the students get out a piece of paper and getting into a comfortable position. This could
be in their seat, on the floor, etc. Anywhere that they find comfortable is ok because we want the
students in a relaxed state to enhance their listening and thinking. Once the students have
found a comfortable listening position, explain to them that we will listen to Chimney Rock
Celebration recording one time. During this listening, they are to write words that come to mind
while listening to the piece. Afterwards, there will be a short discussion where the students can
share their words with a partner, and then the whole class.
Transfer of Knowledge: Chimney Rock Celebration is written for a geological landmark that
pioneers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails used during the Great Migration West.
This warm up is designed to jumpstart the student’s creative listening in order to further their
understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the piece. Once the students have a
deeper understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the piece, they will have a
deeper and more meaningful connection to the music-making experience.
Strategy #5: Accent Standardization

Sequence:
This warm up is designed to standardize the accent sound of an ensemble. This can be used for
a beginning ensemble to introduce them to accents or this could be used for a more advanced
ensemble to standardize the accent approach and sound across the ensemble. There are five
stages to this warm up. Each stage builds off the previous stage. These are written below and
may be passed out to the students as part of this warm up. In stage one, students will play a
whole note on a pre-designated pitch. They will play this whole note to the down beat of the next
bar, rest for a full bar, and then repeat.The whole note will start at fortissimo and decrescendo to
niente. This will be repeated as many times as is necessary for the full ensemble to perform this
correctly. In stage two, the whole note will be replaced with a half note and the rest will be
replaced with a half note rest. Repeat as many times as necessary. In stage three, the half note
will be replaced with a quarter note and the half note rest will be replaced with a quarter rest.
Repeat as many times as necessary. In stage four, the quarter note will be replaced with an
eighth note and the quarter rest will be replaced with an eighth rest. Repeat as necessary. Lastly
in stage 5, the students will play accented eighth notes on the downbeats. If the sequencing has
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been executed carefully, this should sound very similar to stage four and should produce a very
high quality accent sound. These stages represent a fundamental breakdown of an accent
sound, starting out very stretched out and eventually focusing to a proper eighth note accent
sound.
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Stage 5:
While there is a large range of articulations in Chimney Rock Celebration, the most prominent
articulation is accents. After concluding this warm up, the ensemble will have a standardized
accent interpretation and sound, and will use that knowledge to perform the other articulations in
Chimney Rock Celebration with greater standardization and refinement.
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LESSON PLANS
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Lesson Plan #1
Teacher Name: ____Brandon Wells_______Target Grade Level:_____8th Grade_________
Musical Concept of Focus: Rhythm/Technology Integration
Standards Being Addressed:
- MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally developed melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives –
individually or as an ensemble – that demonstrate understanding of characteristics of
music or texts studied in rehearsal.
- MU:Pr5.3.E.8a Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire
of music and evaluate their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other
sources to refine performances.
- Cr.2.8.b Use standard and/or iconic notation and/or audio/ video recording to document
personal rhythmic phrases, melodic phrases, and harmonic sequences.
- Cr.3.8.a Evaluate their own work by selecting and applying criteria including appropriate
application of compositional techniques, style, form, and use of sound sources.
Materials of Instruction:
- Paper and pencil for each student
- District Laptops/Tablets
- Garageband
- Metronome Beats App
- Chimney Rock Celebration Score
- Metronome Variations self-reflection
- Metronome Variations assignment sheet
- Warm Up Strategy #1
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Lesson Sequence:
Entry Activity/Transition/Warm Up: Teacher: “Good morning everybody! Today we will be
discussing vertical alignment! Let’s start with a new warm up!”
1. See Warm Up Strategy #1 for warm up activity.
2. “Now that we have completed our new warm up, let’s move into our discussion on
vertical alignment.”
Activity #1 Objective: Students will discuss vertical alignment, rhythmic emphasis
strategies, and connect it to Chimney Rock Celebration through the use of the
Metronome Beats app.
1. “Ok everyone, I want you to get out a piece of paper and write your own definition of
vertical alignment. I will give you two minutes to think about this.”
2. After two minutes, the teacher will call on a few students to share their definitions of
vertical alignment.
3. After hearing from a few students, the teacher will share their definition of vertical
alignment that they have prepared ahead of time.
4. The teacher will then ask the following questions to continue the class discussion:
a. “Why is vertical alignment important?”
b. “Is vertical alignment important in Chimney Rock Celebration? Why?”
c. “Using your scores, can you identify any sections of Chimney Rock Celebration
where vertical alignment is particularly important?”
5. “Now that we have identified some sections of Chimney Rock Celebration, let’s open up
our Metronome Beats app.”
6. “We have already used our Metronome Beats app for a quarter note pulse, now we will
use it for different pulse emphases.”
a. “Select the pendulum icon in the top right corner of your screen.”
b. “Select the “Advanced Rhythms” tab.”

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c. “Using the “Advanced Rhythms” tab, you can place the pulse emphasis on
different subdivisions of the beat. Go ahead and take a minute to experiment with
this.”
7. “Now that we have experimented with changing the pulse emphasis on different
subdivisions of the beat, let’s get out Chimney Rock Celebration.
8. “We’re going to loop measures 5 and 6. Pay attention to the metronome.”
a. First time: use a quarter note pulse on the metronome. Play this four times.
b. Second time: use an eighth note pulse on the metronome. Play this four times.
c. Third time: use a quarter note pulse on the off-beats. Play this four times.
i. Stop and make comments as needed. Strive for cohesive vertical
alignment.
Assessment: Could the students play measures 5 and 6 of Chimney Rock Celebration; having
moderate success maintaining proper vertical alignment with different metronome variations? If
not, regroup and break down the concepts further.
Transition: “Great work today everyone! Now I want you to apply what we discussed today in
your assignment for next time.” At this point, pass out the Metronome Variations assignment
sheet.
Activity #2 Objective: Students will share their Garageband recordings that they made as
part of the Metronome Variations assignment and reflect on their work.
1. The teacher will split the students into groups of 3-4.
2. Students will play measures 5 and 6 of Chimney Rock Celebration with each group
members’ backing track, giving constructive feedback and comments to each other.
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3. After each student has had a chance to share their backing track with their groups, each
group will nominate one backing track to play along with for the class. Each group will
then receive constructive feedback from the rest of the class.
Assessment: Metronome Variations self-reflection
Students will turn this in at the end of the class period. Before the next class meeting, the
teacher will review the self-reflections and check for understanding, making comments if
necessary.
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Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Metronome Variations Assignment

Instructions:
Create at least four different metronome patterns using the advanced rhythms feature in
Metronome Beats. Each metronome pattern must have a different rhythmic emphasis (i.e one
quarter note emphasis, one off-beat emphasis, etc.). Record these patterns in Garageband to
create a backing track. After creating a backing track, record yourself playing measures 5 and 6
of Chimney Rock Celebration four times with each metronome variation, with two bars of rest in
between each new pattern.
The full recording is due by the next class period.
Metronome Pattern #1:___________________________

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Rubric
1- Unsatisfactory 2- Developing 3- Meets 4- Exemplary
Standards
Time No consistent time Multiple issues Minimal issues No issues with

or alignment. with time and with time and time. Exemplary
alignment. alignment. alignment
throughout.
Intonation Significant issues Multiple issues Minimal issues Clean intonation

with intonation. with intonation. with intonation. throughout.
Articulation Lack of clear Multiple issues Minimal issues Clean and

articulation. with articulation. with articulation. clearly defined
articulation
throughout.
Note Length Significant issues Multiple issues Minimal issues Accurate note
with note length. with note length. with note length. lengths
throughout.
Backing Only one No more than No more than At least four

Track metronome pattern two metronome three metronome
used and/or patterns used in metronome patterns present
incorrect format the backing patterns used in in the backing
used. track and/or the backing track using the
many issues track and/or correct format.
with the format. some issues
with the format.
Total /20
Name:________________________
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Date:_________________________
Metronome Variations Self-Reflection

Instructions:
Rate your Metronome Variations assignment using the rubric below. Afterwards, answer the
self-reflection questions.
Rubric
Standards

throughout.


articulation
throughout.
throughout.

with the format.
Total /20
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Reflection Questions
Question 1: In your own words, define vertical alignment.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 2: What was the most challenging part of this assignment?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 3: If you were to complete this assignment again, what would you do differently?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: What was one piece of feedback you received from your peers? How will you apply
it in the future?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson Plan #2
Musical Concept of Focus: Form
- MU:Cr2.1.E.Ia Preserve draft compositions and improvisations through standard notation
and audio recording.
- MU:Cr3.2.E.Ia Share personally developed melodies, rhythmic passages, and
arrangements – individually or as an ensemble – that address identified purposes.
- MU:Pr4.3.E.Ia Demonstrate an understanding of context in a varied repertoire of music
through prepared and improvised performances.
- Musescore
- Listening example: Jean-Joseph Mouret: Suite de Symphonies, “Fanfare-Rondeau”
- Listening example: Beethoven: Für Elise
- Listening example: Theme and Variations
- Listening example: Chimney Rock Celebration
- Rondo Form Composition Assignment
- Rondo Form Composition Self-Reflection

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Lesson Sequence:
Entry Activity/Transition/Warm Up: Teacher: “Good morning everyone! Today we will be
discussing rondo form! But first, let's test our ears!”
- See Warm Up Strategy #2 for warm up activity.
- “Now that we’ve warmed up our ears, let’s talk about form.”
Activity #1 Objective: Students will define and identify rondo form in Chimney Rock
Celebration and other listening examples.
1. “Alright everyone. Can anyone tell me what rondo form is?”
a. Students: “A, B, A, C, A”
2. Teacher: “Great! I am going to play a listening example that is in rondo form. I want you
to raise your hand when you think we are in an A section of the form.”
a. Teacher plays listening example #1: Jean-Joseph Mouret: Suite de Symphonies,
“Fanfare-Rondeau”
b. “How did you do? How could you tell when we were in the A section?”
3. “Now I am going to play a different example. This time, I want you to raise your hand
whenever we are not in the A section.”
a. Teacher plays listening example #2 (don’t show the students the screen, it will
give away the answer): Beethoven: Für Elise
b. “Ok let’s listen to that again, but this time I want you to watch the screen and
check to see if you were right.”
4. “Now that we have listened to a few examples of rondo form, I want you to get out your
scores of Chimney Rock Celebration. As we listen to the piece, I want you to mark where
you think each section is.”

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Assessment: Have the students accurately marked the different sections of Chimney Rock
Celebration? If not, take a step back and review further.
Transition: “Great work everyone! Now I want you to apply what you have learned about rondo
form in your assignment for next time.” At this point hand out the Rondo Form Composition
Assignment.
Activity #2 Objective: Students will share their short rondo compositions that they
created as part of their Rondo Form Composition assignment in pairs and provide
feedback to their peers.
1. The students will be split into pairs.
2. While in pairs, the students will share their compositions with their partners and provide
feedback to each other.
3. After each pair has had a chance to give each other feedback, the teacher will ask for a
few volunteers to share their compositions with the class.
Assessment: Rondo Form Composition Self-Reflection
Students will complete and turn in their self-reflections by the end of the class period. Before the
next class meeting, the teacher will review the reflections and adjust further lessons accordingly,
while providing feedback to the students.

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Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Rondo Form Composition
Assignment
Instructions:
Using Musescore, create a short composition in rondo form. The composition must be at least
20 measures (4 measures per section) and must utilize one aspect from Chimney Rock
Celebration. This can be the key signature, a melodic idea, a rhythmic idea, etc.
Rubric
1- 2- Developing 3- Meets 4- Exemplary

Unsatisfactory Standards
Form Composition Composition Composition Composition

demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates a demonstrates
lack of partial mostly clear clear
understanding of understanding of understanding of understanding of
rondo form. rondo form. rondo form. rondo form.
multiple errors. Minimal errors.
Length Composition is Composition is

less than 20 20 measures or
measures. more.
Creativity Composition Composition Composition Composition

lacks creativity approaches shows shows
and effort. acceptable acceptable exceptional
creativity and creativity and creativity and
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effort. effort. effort.
Total /12
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Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Self-Reflection
Instructions:
Rate your Rondo Form Composition assignment using the rubric below. Afterwards, answer the
Rubric



measures. more.

Total /12
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Question 1: In your own words, define rondo form.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: What was one piece of feedback you received from your partner? How will you
apply it in the future?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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Lesson Plan #3
Musical Concept of Focus: Melody/Harmony
- Cr.3.P Evaluate and refine draft melodies, rhythmic passages, arrangements, and
improvisations based on established criteria, including the extent to which they address
identified purposes.
- Pr.3.I Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a varied
repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.
- MU:Pr4.2.E.Ia Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how
compositional devices employed and theoretical and structural aspects of musical works
impact and inform prepared or improvised performances.
- Red, Yellow, and Green highlighter
- Copies of Chimney Rock Celebration parts
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Lesson Sequence:
Entry Activity/Transition/Warm Up: “Hello everyone! We are going to play a new game to start
class today!”
1. See Warm Up Strategy #3 for warm up activity.
2. “I hope everyone enjoyed the game! Now I need everybody to grab a red, yellow, and
green highlighter from the front of the room.”
Activity #1 Objective: Students will create a “traffic light” roadway in their Chimney Rock
Celebration parts by listening for melodic and harmonic voices.
1. “Ok everyone, who can tell me the three colors in a traffic light?”
a. Students: “Red, yellow, and green”
2. “That’s right! Now who can tell me what each color means?”
a. Students: “Red means stop, yellow means slow down, and green means go.”
3. “Great! Let’s play measures 1-33 in Chimney Rock Celebration and while we do that, try
to think about how a traffic light might apply to our music.”
a. Students play measures 1-33 and then respond to the question.
4. “Good answers! I like to think of green as the melody since it’s the loudest and cars are
the loudest when they are moving. Let’s play measures 1-33 again and try to listen for
the melody.”
a. Students play measures 1-33 and then guess who has the melody.
5. “Great job! If you have the melody at any point, I want you to highlight those parts green
so you know to “go” at those sections.”
a. Repeat for harmony (yellow) and accompaniment/flavor (red)
6. “Now that we have our traffic lights marked, let's play measures 1-33 and follow our
lights. Really listen for those green lights since they represent the melody.”
31
Assessment: Students will send the teacher a picture of their roadmaps and write a paragraph
about their musical roadmap through the piece. The teacher will conduct an informal
assessment of the students’ understanding based on their roadmaps and traffic lights.
32
Lesson Plan #4
Musical Concept of Focus: Historical/Cultural
- Cr.1.P Compose and improvise ideas for melodies, rhythmic passages, and
arrangements for specific purposes that reflect characteristic(s) of music from a variety
of historical periods studied in rehearsal.
- Cr.2.P Select and develop draft melodies, rhythmic passages, and arrangements for
specific purposes that demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music from a
variety of historical periods studied in rehearsal preserving draft compositions and
improvisations through standard notation and audio recording.
- MU:Re8.1.E.Ia Explain and support interpretations of the expressive intent and meaning
of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
(when appropriate) the setting of the text, and personal research.
- MU:Re9.1.E.Ia Evaluate works and performances based on personally or collaboratively
developed criteria, including analysis of the structure and context.
- Chimney Rock Celebration recording
- Listening Example: American Venom by Woody Jackson
- Listening Example: Appalachian Spring Movement Vll by Aaron Copland
- Paper
- Crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc.
- Chimney Rock Celebration program notes
- Reflection
33
Lesson Sequence:
Entry Activity/Transition/Warm Up: “Hello everyone, we are going to listen to a lot of music
today! Go ahead and grab some coloring supplies and paper and get ready to listen.”
1. See Warm Up Strategy #4 for the warm up activity.
2. “Now that we have some words written, let’s open up our Chimney Rock Celebration
scores.”
Activity #4 Objective: Students will study the historical context of Chimney Rock
Celebration and listen to closely related listening examples to create a picture and
journal entry inspired by their listening.
1. “Ok everyone, I need a volunteer to read the first paragraph of the program notes.”
a. Student reads the first paragraph of the program notes.
2. “Now that you know the historical context of the piece, does it make you want to change
anything you have written or drawn so far?”
3. “We’re going to listen to Chimney Rock Celebration again. This time I want you to think
of the type of person that would have traveled on one of these trails and try to draw what
you think they looked like based on what you hear. I will also play two more listening
excerpts while you draw.”
a. Teacher plays Chimney Rock Celebration, American Venom, and Appalachian
Spring Movement Vll.
4. “Now that everyone has drawn their pioneer, I want you to think about the information
you have heard from the program notes and the music you have heard today, and I want
you to use that to write a journal entry from the perspective of the pioneer you drew.”
Assessment: The students will submit their drawing and journal entry to the teacher. Once the
teacher returns them to the students they will keep them in their music folders to give them
34
inspiration throughout the concert block. Students will also fill out a reflection so the teacher can
further assess the students’ takeaways from the assignment.
Name:________________________
35
Date:_________________________
Pioneer Journal Self-Reflection
Question 1: Tell me about your pioneer. Who were they? Which trail did they travel on?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 2: Which of the three listening examples was the most inspiring for your pioneer?
Why was it inspiring? Be specific.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 3: Has this changed how you view Chimney Rock Celebration? Why or why not?
36
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: What was your biggest takeaway from today’s lesson?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
37
Lesson Plan #5
Musical Concept of Focus: Texture
- MU:Pr4.1.E.Ia Explain the criteria used to select a varied repertoire to study based on an
understanding of theoretical and structural characteristics of the music, the technical skill
of the individual or ensemble, and the purpose or context of the performance.
- Pr.3.8 Perform contrasting pieces of music, demonstrating as well as explaining how the
music’s intent is conveyed by their interpretations of the elements of music and
expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, timbre, articulation/style, and phrasing).
- Pr.4.I Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire of music
and evaluate their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other sources to
refine performances.
- Paper and pencil
- Articulation Identification Activity sheet
- Chimney Rock Celebration parts
- Articulation Identification Partner Assignment
- Articulation Identification Activity Teacher Guide
Lesson Sequence:
Entry Activity/Transition/Warm Up: “Good morning everyone! Today we will be talking about
articulations! Let’s get ready to play a new warm up!”
1. See Warm Up Strategy #5 for warm up.

38
2. “Great work everyone! Now I want you to get out a piece of paper and a pencil.”
Activity #1 Objective: Students will identify accents, marcato, and staccato through
listening. Afterwards, they will replicate the activity with a partner.
1. Teacher: “Ok everyone, does everyone know what accents, marcato, and staccato
markings are?
a. Students: “Yeah.”
2. Teacher: “I want everyone to write their own definitions of accent, staccato, and marcato
on their piece of paper. I’ll give you two minutes.”
3. After two minutes, the teacher will call on a few students to share their definitions of
accent, staccato, and marcato with the class.
4. “Now that we have discussed our definitions with each other, we’re going to do a
listening activity.” At this point, the teacher will pass out the Articulation Identification
Activity sheet.
5. Teacher: “I will play a note on my instrument and based on what you hear, I want you to
write down what articulation I am using. I will play each articulation twice and there will
be five different listening examples.
a. Teacher takes the class through the Articulation Identification Activity sheet.
6. After completing the activity, review the answers with the students.
7. “Now that we have completed this activity, I want you to find a partner and complete your
own version of the Articulation Identification Activity sheet. You will each text each other
on articulation listening and reflect on the experience. This will be due by the next block
day.” Hand out the Articulation Identification Partner Assignment at this point.
Assessment: Could the students identify different articulations through listening? Could they
use their knowledge of articulations to test their peers?

39
Transition: Great work on the assignment everyone! I will review these and give you feedback
as soon as possible.
40
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Articulation Identification Activity

Instructions:
[Insert teacher name here] will play five different listening examples. Each example will be
played twice. Once you have identified the articulation used, write your answer below:
Articulation Example #1:___________________________

41

42
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Articulation Identification Activity
Teacher Guide
Instructions:
You will play five different listening examples for the class. Each example should be played
twice. The articulations listed below are an example of what could be played. The teacher can
change the order to their liking.
Articulation Example #1:___________Accent______________
Articulation Example #2:____________Marcato_______________
Articulation Example #3:____________Staccato_____________
Articulation Example #4:_____________Accent____________
Articulation Example #5:_____________Staccato______________
Articulation Example #6:___________Accent______________
Articulation Example #7:____________Marcato_______________

43
Articulation Example #8:____________Staccato_____________
Articulation Example #9:_____________Accent____________
Articulation Example #10:_____________Staccato______________

44
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Articulation Identification Partner
Assignment (Student Instructor
Copy)
Instructions:
Select one of three articulations (accent, marcato, staccato) for each listening example. Play
each example two times for your partner. Afterwards, grade their sheet for them and return it.
Once both you and your partner have completed each other’s quizzes, complete the Articulation
Identification Reflection.

45

46
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Articulation Identification Partner
Assignment (Student Copy)

47

48
Glossary
- Accent: Momentary emphasis on a particular rhythmic or melodic detail.
- Articulation: A musical parameter that determines how a single note or other discrete
event is sounded.
- Chimney Rock: Chimney Rock is a prominent geological rock formation in Morrill
County in western Nebraska. Rising nearly 300 feet above the surrounding North Platte
River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,228 feet above sea level.
- Composition: Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either
vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or
writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called
composers.
- Garageband: GarageBand is a line of digital audio workstations developed by Apple for
macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices that allows users to create music or podcasts.
- Harmony: Harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or
composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to
simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches, or chords.
- Historical Context: Historical context is the setting in which a historical event, idea, or
object takes place.
- Marcato: Marcato is a musical instruction indicating a note, chord, or passage is to be
played louder or more forcefully than the surrounding music.
- Melody: A melody, also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that
the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a
combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term can include other
musical elements such as tonal color.

49
- Metronome Beats: A free interactive metronome app.
- Musescore: MuseScore is a scorewriter for Windows, macOS, and Linux supporting a
wide variety of file formats and input methods.
- Pulse: A series of uniformly spaced beats—either audible or implied that sets the tempo
and is the scaffolding for the rhythm.
- Rhythm: The pattern of sound, silence, and emphasis in a song.
- Rondo Form: The rondo is a musical form that contains a principal theme which
alternates with one or more contrasting themes, generally called "episodes", but also
occasionally referred to as "digressions" or "couplets". Some possible patterns include:
ABACA, ABACAB, ABACBA, or ABACABA.
- Staccato: Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a
note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence.
- Texture: In music, texture is how the tempo, melodic, and harmonic materials are
combined in a musical composition, determining the overall quality of the sound in a
piece.
50
Student Guide
Title: Chimney Rock Celebration

Composer/Arranger: Robert Sheldon (b. 1954)
Publisher: Alfred Music Publishing
Grade Level: 3
Learning Goals
Learning Goals (Instructional Objectives):

After completing this unit on Chimney Rock Celebration, students will:
- Develop and refine their understanding of vertical alignment.
- Develop and refine their own rhythmic emphasis strategies to enhance their individual
growth.
- Identify and define rondo form through score study and active listening of musical
examples.
- Develop listening skills through identification of melodic, harmonic, and background
voices.
- Refine their understanding of Chimney Rock Celebration through study of its historical
and cultural context.
- Create visual and lingusitic art inspired by listening examples.
- Identify differences between articulations through guided listening.
- Design lessons and assignments to test their peers.
- Give and receive detailed feedback to and from their peers.
51
Unit Study
Unit 1: Composer
Robert Sheldon is one of the most performed composers of wind band music today. He is also
the lead author of Sound Innovations for Concert Band. A recipient of numerous awards from the
American School Band Director's Association, Phi Beta Mu and the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers, his compositions embody a level of expression that
resonates with ensembles and audiences alike. His music is performed around the world and
appears on many international concert and contest lists. Mr. Sheldon regularly accepts
commissions for new works, and produces numerous publications for concert band each year.
Sheldon's schedule includes many appearances as guest conductor for All-State and Regional
Honor Bands. He also frequently appears as a Music Education clinician, and has presented
sessions and seminars at numerous colleges and universities as well as state Music Education
Association conferences. He has served as a conductor and clinician throughout the United
States, as well as Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany, Australia and China, and has conducted
performances of his works in New York's Carnegie Hall, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Boston's
Symphony Hall, The Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in
Washington D.C. Robert Sheldon received an honorary doctorate from VanderCook College of
Music in July 2020.

52
Unit 2: Composition
“Chimney Rock Celebration” was written to commemorate the Nebraska Sesquicentennial, while
also honoring the pioneers who helped to develop the American West. Commissioned by the
Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, the premiere performance was given by the 2016
NSBA Eight Grade All-State Band, January 16, 2016 in Kearney, Nebraska with Robert Sheldon
conducting.
Unit 3: Historical Perspective

“Chimney Rock, a distinctive and prominent geological rock formation in western Nebraska, is
the most famous landmark on the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trails used by the pioneers
during the great migration west. This journey was fraught with perils, and many perished before
reaching their destination. But the courage and determination of these brave Americans helped
shape our nation, and their character and bravery has become imbedded in our folklore.”
- From Chimney Rock Celebration program notes.
Unit 4: Technical Considerations

There are lots of syncopated 8th note and 16th note rhythms. Vertical alignment across the
ensemble is very important for this piece. There is a main rhythmic motif that is present
throughout the piece with a few slight variations between parts.
Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations

Rallentando and accelerando are both present. Since there are very few isolated parts and the
melody and harmony is often played by multiple instruments at a time, there needs to be an
agreement on how to play these lines expressively and with dynamic musical texture.
53
Unit 6: Musical Elements

- Dynamics: fp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, fff
- Range: B flat 1-A flat 6
- Rhythms: Syncopated 8th note and 16th note rhythms. Vertical alignment.
- Articulations: Accents, staccatos, marcatos, slurs, ties, glissandi, fermatas
- Tempos: Allegro 144 bpm, Andante Espressivo 72 bpm, Poco piu mosso 84 bpm.
Unit 7: Form and Structure

A, B, A, C, A. Rondo form.
Unit 8: Suggested Listening

It would be a good idea to listen to some of the composer’s other works to get a better
understanding of their compositional style. A few options are “Riverside Overture”, “Piedmont
Festival Overture”, and “Overture to a New Horizon”.
Unit 9: Additional Resources

Robert Sheldon personal website: https://robertsheldonmusic.com/
Robert Sheldon personal spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0sxE5g5ijPry9yWPiwufG0
Robert Sheldon works in JW Pepper:
https://www.jwpepper.com/sheet-music/search.jsp?keywords=robert+sheldon&suggested=depart
ment-filter&pageview=list-view&departmentDescriptions=Concert+Band
54
Warm Up Strategies
These warm up strategies are designed to directly setup and transition into the lessons in this
teaching unit. Each warm up has elements that can be modified by the instructor to better fit
their instructional styles. The warm ups will cover topics such as rhythmic alignment, listening
identification, dynamics, reflective/creative listening, and articulation. Each warm up should take
no longer than ten minutes depending on the schedule of the ensemble.
Strategy #1: Rhythmic Alignment

Sequence:
This warm up involves playing the E-Flat major scale (which is the home key for Chimney Rock
Celebration), with a focus on rhythmic alignment. Start by having the students play an E-Flat
major scale on quarter notes up and down one octave. Then, have them play the E-Flat major
scale with two eighth notes on each step of the scale up and down one octave. Afterwards,
students will be numbered into either group 1 or group 2. Group 1 will play the E-Flat major
scale on quarter notes up and down one octave, while group 2 will play the E-Flat major scale
on quarter notes starting on the off-beat up and down one octave. Afterwards, the two groups
will switch roles and play it again. The focus should be maintaining an even sound and pulse
with both groups filling different roles. There should be nearly no difference between every
student playing eighth notes versus playing in groups. The examples below can be passed out
to the students beforehand for a visual aid, but are not completely necessary for this warm up.
This exercise is very malleable and almost every aspect can be altered to suit whatever piece
your band is working on.
Quarter Notes
Eighth Notes (All Play)
Group 1
Group 2
55
Transfer of Knowledge: In Chimney Rock Celebration, the students need to be able to execute
sudden shifts in pulse emphasis. Playing the composite rhythm together before splitting the part
will help them understand what the full part is supposed to sound like and can eliminate hesitant
preps that are common when playing on the off-beats.
Strategy #2: Listening Identification

Sequence:
This warm up involves listening to Theme and Variations from Distinguished Music for the
Developing Wind Band, Vol. 5. Students will be asked to listen and write down how many
different variations they heard. After the initial listen, the class will discuss how many variations
they think they heard. Once the discussion has concluded, the class will listen to the piece
again, this time they will raise their hands every time they hear a new variation. The goal is to
train the students' ears to hear when a piece transitions to a new section. Students will need to
use more focused and active listening rather than passive listening.
Materials: Theme and Variations from Distinguished Music for the Developing Wind Band, Vol. 5
Transfer of Knowledge: Chimney Rock Celebration is in rondo form, which is a form that the
students may be unfamiliar with. This warm up (as well as the corresponding lesson), is
designed to increase their understanding of the piece and train them to be more focused
listeners. These focuses will contribute to a greater sense of learning and a more enlightened
performance.
Strategy #3: Musical Among Us (Dynamics)

Sequence:
This warm up is a fun game for the students to work on their dynamic contrast and range. The
teacher will pick one student to be the crew member and have them step outside the classroom
for a moment. The teacher will then pick a different student to be the imposter. The crew
member will then come back into the room and try to figure out who the imposter is. The rest of
the class will sound the alarms (play long tones on a concert pitch) and their dynamic will shift
based on how close the crew member is to the imposter. For example, when the crew member
moves away from the imposter the alarms will decrescendo and when the crew member gets
closer to the imposter the alarms will crescendo. The crew member has three guesses to find
the imposter based on the volume of the alarms. Once the imposter is found or the crew
member uses all of their guesses, the crew member picks another student to be the crew
member and the game restarts. This game is a versatile method of working on dynamic contrast
because the teacher can choose different things to be the alarm based on what the lesson is for
that day.
56
There is a large range of dynamics in Chimney Rock Celebration and in order to be able to
effectively perform those dynamic ranges, the students need to push the limits of their range.
This warm up can be used with different sections of Chimney Rock Celebration to find where the
“loud alarms” and “quiet alarms” are. This can also be used in chorales, scales, and etudes.
Strategy #4: Reflective/Creative Listening

Sequence:
This warm up is designed to specifically set up a listening activity like Lesson Plan #4. Start by
having the students get out a piece of paper and getting into a comfortable position. This could
be in their seat, on the floor, etc. Anywhere that they find comfortable is ok because we want the
students in a relaxed state to enhance their listening and thinking. Once the students have
found a comfortable listening position, explain to them that we will listen to Chimney Rock
Celebration recording one time. During this listening, they are to write words that come to mind
while listening to the piece. Afterwards, there will be a short discussion where the students can
share their words with a partner, and then the whole class.
Transfer of Knowledge: Chimney Rock Celebration is written for a geological landmark that
pioneers on the Oregon, California, and Mormon trails used during the Great Migration West.
This warm up is designed to jumpstart the student’s creative listening in order to further their
understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the piece. Once the students have a
deeper understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the piece, they will have a
deeper and more meaningful connection to the music-making experience.
Strategy #5: Accent Standardization

Sequence:
This warm up is designed to standardize the accent sound of an ensemble. This can be used for
a beginning ensemble to introduce them to accents or this could be used for a more advanced
ensemble to standardize the accent approach and sound across the ensemble. There are five
stages to this warm up. Each stage builds off the previous stage. These are written below and
may be passed out to the students as part of this warm up. In stage one, students will play a
whole note on a pre-designated pitch. They will play this whole note to the down beat of the next
bar, rest for a full bar, and then repeat.The whole note will start at fortissimo and decrescendo to
niente. This will be repeated as many times as is necessary for the full ensemble to perform this
correctly. In stage two, the whole note will be replaced with a half note and the rest will be
replaced with a half note rest. Repeat as many times as necessary. In stage three, the half note
will be replaced with a quarter note and the half note rest will be replaced with a quarter rest.
Repeat as many times as necessary. In stage four, the quarter note will be replaced with an
eighth note and the quarter rest will be replaced with an eighth rest. Repeat as necessary. Lastly
in stage 5, the students will play accented eighth notes on the downbeats. If the sequencing has
57
been executed carefully, this should sound very similar to stage four and should produce a very
high quality accent sound. These stages represent a fundamental breakdown of an accent
sound, starting out very stretched out and eventually focusing to a proper eighth note accent
sound.
Stage 1:
Stage 2:
Stage 3:
Stage 4:
Stage 5:
While there is a large range of articulations in Chimney Rock Celebration, the most prominent
articulation is accents. After concluding this warm up, the ensemble will have a standardized
accent interpretation and sound, and will use that knowledge to perform the other articulations in
Chimney Rock Celebration with greater standardization and refinement.
58
Day 1 Resources
- Paper and pencil
- Garageband
- Metronome Beats App
- Metronome Variations self-reflection
- Metronome Variations assignment sheet
Assessment: Metronome Variations self-reflection
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Metronome Variations Self-Reflection

Instructions:
Rate your Metronome Variations assignment using the rubric below. Afterwards, answer the
Rubric
Standards

59
throughout.


articulation
throughout.
throughout.

with the format.
Total /20
Question 1: In your own words, define vertical alignment.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
60
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: What was one piece of feedback you received from your peers? How will you apply
it in the future?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
61
Day 2 Resources
- Musescore
- Listening example: Jean-Joseph Mouret: Suite de Symphonies, “Fanfare-Rondeau”
- Listening example: Beethoven: Für Elise
- Listening example: Theme and Variations
- Listening example: Chimney Rock Celebration
- Rondo Form Composition Assignment
- Rondo Form Composition Self-Reflection
Assessment: Rondo Form Composition Self-Reflection
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Self-Reflection
Instructions:
62
Rate your Rondo Form Composition assignment using the rubric below. Afterwards, answer the
Rubric



measures. more.

Total /12
Question 1: In your own words, define rondo form.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

63
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: What was one piece of feedback you received from your partner? How will you
apply it in the future?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
64
Day 3 Resources
- Red, Yellow, and Green highlighter
- Copies of Chimney Rock Celebration parts
Assessment: Informal assessment

65
Day 4 Resources
- Chimney Rock Celebration recording
- Listening Example: American Venom by Woody Jackson
- Listening Example: Appalachian Spring Movement Vll by Aaron Copland
- Paper
- Crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc.
- Chimney Rock Celebration program notes
- Reflection
Assessment: Reflection
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Pioneer Journal Self-Reflection
Question 1: Tell me about your pioneer. Who were they? Which trail did they travel on?
66
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 2: Which of the three listening examples was the most inspiring for your pioneer?
Why was it inspiring? Be specific.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 3: Has this changed how you view Chimney Rock Celebration? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: What was your biggest takeaway from today’s lesson?

67
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
68
Day 5 Resources
- Paper and pencil
- Articulation Identification Activity sheet
- Chimney Rock Celebration parts
- Articulation Identification Partner Assignment
- Articulation Identification Activity Teacher Guide
Assessment: Articulation Identification Reflection
Name:________________________
Date:_________________________
Articulation Identification
Self-Reflection
Instructions:
After you have completed the Articulation Identification Activity in class and the Articulation
Identification Partner Assignment, answer the reflection questions below:
Question 1: In your own words, define accent, marcato, and staccato.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
69
Question 2: Describe how you would play an accent, marcato, and staccato on your instrument.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Question 4: How will you apply your knowledge of these articulations to your performance of
Chimney Rock Celebration?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
70
Glossary
- Accent: Momentary emphasis on a particular rhythmic or melodic detail.
- Articulation: A musical parameter that determines how a single note or other discrete
event is sounded.
- Chimney Rock: Chimney Rock is a prominent geological rock formation in Morrill
County in western Nebraska. Rising nearly 300 feet above the surrounding North Platte
River valley, the peak of Chimney Rock is 4,228 feet above sea level.
- Composition: Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either
vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or
writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called
composers.
- Garageband: GarageBand is a line of digital audio workstations developed by Apple for
macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices that allows users to create music or podcasts.
- Harmony: Harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or
composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to
simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches, or chords.
- Historical Context: Historical context is the setting in which a historical event, idea, or
object takes place.
- Marcato: Marcato is a musical instruction indicating a note, chord, or passage is to be
played louder or more forcefully than the surrounding music.
- Melody: A melody, also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that
the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a
combination of pitch and rhythm, while more figuratively, the term can include other
musical elements such as tonal color.

71
- Metronome Beats: A free interactive metronome app.
- Musescore: MuseScore is a scorewriter for Windows, macOS, and Linux supporting a
wide variety of file formats and input methods.
- Pulse: A series of uniformly spaced beats—either audible or implied that sets the tempo
and is the scaffolding for the rhythm.
- Rhythm: The pattern of sound, silence, and emphasis in a song.
- Rondo Form: The rondo is a musical form that contains a principal theme which
alternates with one or more contrasting themes, generally called "episodes", but also
occasionally referred to as "digressions" or "couplets". Some possible patterns include:
ABACA, ABACAB, ABACBA, or ABACABA.
- Staccato: Staccato is a form of musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a
note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence.
- Texture: In music, texture is how the tempo, melodic, and harmonic materials are
combined in a musical composition, determining the overall quality of the sound in a
piece.

Secondary Teaching Unit 1

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Secondary Teaching Unit 1

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Chimney Rock Celebration

Alfred Music Publishing

Unit Plan Created by Brandon Wells

Teacher Guide: Unit Introduction

Title: Chimney Rock Celebration

Learning Goals (Instructional Objectives):

Standards Addressed (8th Grade-Proficient):

of the individual or ensemble, and the purpose or context of the performance.

music’s intent is conveyed by their interpretations of the elements of music and

expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, timbre, articulation/style, and phrasing).

- Pr.4.I Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire of music

of historical periods studied in rehearsal.

specific purposes that demonstrate understanding of characteristic(s) of music from a

variety of historical periods studied in rehearsal preserving draft compositions and

improvisations through standard notation and audio recording.

(when appropriate) the setting of the text, and personal research.

- MU:Re9.1.E.Ia Evaluate works and performances based on personally or collaboratively

developed criteria, including analysis of the structure and context.

- Pr.3.I Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a varied

repertoire of music through prepared and improvised performances.

- MU:Pr4.2.E.Ia Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how

impact and inform prepared or improvised performances.

- MU:Cr3.1.E.Ia Evaluate and refine draft melodies, rhythmic passages, arrangements,

address identified purposes.

- MU:Cr2.1.E.Ia Preserve draft compositions and improvisations through standard notation

and audio recording.

- MU:Cr3.2.E.Ia Share personally developed melodies, rhythmic passages, and

arrangements – individually or as an ensemble – that address identified purposes.

- MU:Pr4.3.E.Ia Demonstrate an understanding of context in a varied repertoire of music

through prepared and improvised performances.

- MU:Cr3.1.E.Ia Evaluate and refine draft melodies, rhythmic passages, arrangements,

address identified purposes.

- MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally developed melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives –

individually or as an ensemble – that demonstrate understanding of characteristics of

music or texts studied in rehearsal.

- MU:Pr5.3.E.8a Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire

sources to refine performances.

personal rhythmic phrases, melodic phrases, and harmonic sequences.

application of compositional techniques, style, form, and use of sound sources.

Music in July 2020.

Unit 3: Historical Perspective

- From Chimney Rock Celebration program notes.

Unit 4: Technical Considerations

throughout the piece with a few slight variations between parts.

Unit 5: Stylistic Considerations

Unit 6: Musical Elements

- Range: B flat 1-A flat 6

- Articulations: Accents, staccatos, marcatos, slurs, ties, glissandi, fermatas

Unit 7: Form and Structure

Unit 8: Suggested Listening

Festival Overture”, and “Overture to a New Horizon”.

Unit 9: Additional Resources

Robert Sheldon personal spotify page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0sxE5g5ijPry9yWPiwufG0

Robert Sheldon works in JW Pepper:

Strategy #1: Rhythmic Alignment

Eighth Notes (All Play)

Strategy #2: Listening Identification

Strategy #3: Musical Among Us (Dynamics)

Strategy #4: Reflective/Creative Listening

Strategy #5: Accent Standardization

Teacher Name: ____Brandon Wells_______Target Grade Level:_____8th Grade_________

Musical Concept of Focus: Rhythm/Technology Integration

Standards Being Addressed:

Teacher Name: Brandon Wells_Target Grade Level:_8th Grade_______

Teacher Name: Brandon Wells_Target Grade Level:_8th Grade_______